Perennial herb to about 30 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves cauline, alternate, linear. Inflorescence 1 flowered; bract solitary, straight. Flowers broadly bell-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 45 mm long, purple to pink, tessellated. Nectary large, linear, green, above the base. Style papillose; stigma lobed. Fruit angled, not winged.
F. acmopetala Boiss. from Turkey to the Middle East is a perennial herb to about 45 cm; bulblets present. Leaves cauline, alternate, linear. Inflorescence 1-3 flowered; bracts solitary, straight. Flowers bell-shaped, spreading; spring.Tepals to 40 mm long, green with red-brown markings, not tessellated. Nectary large, ovate, green to black, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit not winged.
F. affinis (Schult.) Sealy, Mission Bells (Rice Grain Fritillary) from California to British Columbia is a perennial herb to about 1.2 m; bulblets present. Leaves cauline, in whorls of 3-5, broadly linear to ovate. Inflorescence 1-4 flowered; bracts solitary, straight. Flowers bell-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 40 mm long, green-yellow to purple, tessellated. Nectary large, ovate or triangular, green, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit 6-winged. Syn. Fritillaria lanceolata invalid.
F. davisii Turrill from S Greece is a perennial herb to about 20 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves ground level, opposite, ovate, shiny green. Inflorescence 1-3 flowered; bracts alternate, straight. Flowers broadly bell-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 25 mm long, greenish-purple, black to brown tessellated. Nectary small, green, narrowly ovoid, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit not winged.
F. michailovskyi Fomin from Turkey is a perennial herb to about 24 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves cauline, lowest opposite, alternate above, narrowly ovate. Inflorescence a 1-4 flowered umbel; bracts single, straight. Flowers broadly bellshaped, nodding; spring.Tepals to 32 mm long, greenish to purplish-brown with the apical third bright yellow, not tessellated. Nectary large, linear, green, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit not winged; tepals remaining attached.
F. pyrenaica L. from the Pyrenees is a perennial herb to about 30 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves cauline, alternate, broadly linear to narrowly ovate. Inflorescence usually 1 flowered; bract single, straight. Flowers broadly bell-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 35 mm long, purple to brown outside, yellow-green inside, tessellated. Nectary large, triangular, green, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit not winged.
Europe.
Source: (2005). Liliaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.